Of note today 2 Buzzard and a juvenile calling.
Insects included 12 Small Copper, 3 G.V. White, 8 Meadow Brown, 5 Speckled Wood and 2 Red Admiral.
Brown, Migrant and Southern Hawker were present along with 1 Blue-tailed Damsel and 1 Willow Emerald resting on a Willow over the dike near the hide.
It's still pretty quiet bird wise, but Kingfisher and Cormorant were busy fishing near the hide. Mallard and Gadwall numbers are rising now so the next WEBS count should see even more.
The hedge on the public footpath running between the Northern and Southern Meadows was cut back this morning (Carlton Marsh Wildlife Group)
The scrape will probably be disturbed tomorrow while the island vegetation is strimmed. This will attract wildfowl to loaf on it during the coming months.
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will be strimming the Southern part of the embankment on Saturday morning.
90 Canada Geese were present and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers weer seen.
19 birds caught included 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps and 10 Longtailed Tits, 3 of which were retraps.
30 Canada Gees left south.
The highlights were Bulrush Wainscot, The Chevron, 2 Old Lady, 5 Copper Underwing, Ruby Tiger, Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing, 5 Centre Barred Sallow, Golden Rod Pug, Iron Prominent, 3 Small China Mark and at least 25 Common Wainscot.
60 Canada Geese, 1 Cormorant, 1 Kingfisher, 6 Teal and a Coal Tit.
c10 Migrant Hawkers and 1m Southern Hawker were hawking over the western Meadow entrance.
2 Buzzard, Kingfisher, 2 LBB Gull, 2 Teal, 25 Goldfinch and 48 Mallard.
Insects included 35 Meadow Brown, 1 Brown Argus, 1 Gatekeeper, 7 Small Copper and the Hornet mimic hoverfly - Volucella zonaria. (Chris Parkin).
Grey Partridge, Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher and Grey Heron.
Butterflies included 133 Meadow Brown, 103 Small Heath, 1 small Skipper, 25 Common Blue, 3 Brown Argus, 1 Holly Blue, 2 Small Copper (Chris Parkin).,
136 Meadow Brown, 4 Gatekeeper, 67 Small Heath, 2 Brown Argus, 12 Common Blue, and 4 Small Copper (Chris Parkin).
With Chris Parkin using a small Actinic bulb and sugar 14 species of macro were identified. They included 1 Red Underwing (feeding on Buddliea), the first for 9 years. Angle Shades, 5 Common Wainscot, 10 Copper Underwing sp., male Vapourer moth, 3 Six Striped Rusic, Gold Spot, Pale Prominent and 3 Small China Mark.
30 Goldfinch. Butterflies included 7 Dingy Skipper, 42 Small Heath, 30 Common Blue, 3 Small Copper, 28 Brown Argus, and a Lunar Hornet Moth (Chris Parkin).
Little Egret, Kingfisher and Dabchick.
Butterflies included 15 Red Admiral, 2 Peacock, 32 Speckled Wood, 72 Meadow Brown, 29 Gatekeeper, a very late Dingy Skipper, 3 Small Heath, 4 Common Blue, 3 Small Copper and 18 Large White. Also the hoverfly Leucozoma lucorum
(Chris Parkin)
It's very quiet for birds just now so other forms of wildlife were looked for.
The western Meadow produced a very late Burnet Companion moth, 3 Ringlet, 20 Meadow Brown, 2 Common Blue, and 2 Small Heath were also present.
Elsewhere a Small Copper, a Common Drone Fly, on Dervil's Bit Scabious, and a male Southern Hawker.
Kingfisher, 2 Teal, 1 Shoveler, 4 Grey Heron, 3 Lapwing.
3 Ringlet 4 Meadow Brown, 6 Gatekeeper.
Brown, Migrant and Southern Hawkers.
The Barnsley Naturalists Society visited this morning, they always manage to find some varied and interesting wildlife. Buzzard and Peregrine called and 2 Little Grebes were amongst the Canada Geese.
I haven't got their full list yet, the following are just a few of the things they found mainly on the Western Meadow; Roesel's Bush Cricket, Short-wnged Conehead, Silver Y, Shaded Broad Bar and Flame Shoulder moths, 3 Common Blue, 3 Ringlet and a few Meadow Brown.
Plant galls included Oak, Meadow sweet and Ash Galls.
Woolley
17 species of butterfly included 1 painted Lady, 1 Ringlet, 42 Small Heath, 1 Dingy Skipper, 7 Brown Argus, 4 Small Blue, and 2 Small Copper. Also The Hornet Mimic Hoverfly Volucella zonaria.
A dead Sparrowhawk may be another victim of bird flu? We have had 2 sick kestrels at Carlton Marsh of late (C. Parkin).
